You can install Docker Desktop on an Intel-based Mac and verify that the Docker command line and Docker Engine are ready for local MDriven containers.
Before you begin
This page is for Intel-based Macs. Check the processor architecture in Terminal:
uname -m
Continue when the command returns x86_64. This identifies the Intel/AMD64 architecture used by the Docker setup for this page.
If your Mac reports an ARM architecture, use a setup intended for Apple Silicon rather than the Intel instructions. The local MDriven Docker guide provides separate AMD64 and ARM64 downloads: Documentation:Running MDriven Locally with Docker.
Choose an installation method
Both methods install Docker Desktop, which includes the Docker Engine (the service that runs containers), the docker command-line client, and a desktop application for viewing images, containers, logs, and resource use.
| Method | Use it when | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Docker Desktop installer | You want to download and install Docker Desktop through the macOS user interface. | Docker Desktop is installed in Applications. |
| Homebrew | You already use Homebrew and want to install Docker Desktop from Terminal. | Homebrew installs the Docker Desktop application. |
Install Docker Desktop by one method only.
Option 1: Install with the Docker Desktop installer
- Download the Docker Desktop installer for Mac with Intel chip from the Docker Desktop download page.
- Open the downloaded installer file.
- Drag Docker to the Applications folder when prompted.
- Open Applications, then open Docker.
- Approve any macOS permission prompts required to start Docker Desktop.
- Wait for Docker Desktop to finish starting. Its menu-bar icon indicates that the application is running.
Option 2: Install with Homebrew
Use this option when Homebrew is installed or when you want Homebrew to manage the Docker Desktop application.
Install Homebrew if needed
Open Terminal and check whether Homebrew is available:
brew --version
If Terminal reports that brew is not found, install Homebrew:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
Verify the installation:
brew --version
Install and start Docker Desktop
Install Docker Desktop:
brew install --cask docker
Then start it from Applications by opening Docker. Complete any permission prompts and wait until Docker Desktop has started.
Verify the installation
Run these commands in Terminal after Docker Desktop is running:
docker --version
docker info
docker --version confirms that the Docker command-line client is installed. docker info confirms that the client can communicate with the Docker Engine.
If docker info cannot connect to the Docker daemon, open Docker Desktop and wait for it to finish starting before running the command again.
Confirm that Docker can run a container
An image is a packaged, read-only template. A container is an instance created from that image. For example, the following commands download the Ubuntu 24.04 image and start an interactive shell inside a temporary Ubuntu container:
docker pull ubuntu:24.04
docker run --rm -it ubuntu:24.04 bash
At the container prompt, run:
cat /etc/os-release
exit
The --rm option removes the container when you exit. This test confirms that Docker can pull an image and run a Linux container on your Intel Mac.
Inspect containers
Use these commands when working with containers:
| Command | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
docker ps
|
Lists running containers. | Use it to confirm that a service is currently running. |
docker ps -a
|
Lists both running and stopped containers. | Use it to find a container that has exited. |
docker stop <container_id>
|
Stops a running container. | docker stop a1b2c3d4
|
You can also use Docker Desktop to inspect container status, logs, port mappings, and resource usage.
Next: run MDriven with Docker
Docker Desktop is now ready to run MDriven Server and MDriven Turnkey in Linux containers. Do not build a generic Ubuntu container as a substitute for the MDriven deployment files; use the prepared MDriven Docker setup and its docker compose configuration.
- For a local development environment, download the configuration that matches your Intel Mac and follow Documentation:Running MDriven Locally with Docker.
- For the Ubuntu-container walkthrough that builds and starts MDriven Server and MDriven Turnkey with Docker Compose, follow Documentation:Docker on MacOS- Installing MDriven Server and MDriven Turnkey on Ubuntu Containers.
- For Docker deployment concepts, distribution choices, and persistence guidance, see Documentation:Deploying MDriven Server and Turnkey with Docker.
MDriven Designer is separate from Docker Desktop. For the current macOS findings and installation approaches for the Windows-based Designer, see Documentation:Installing MDriven Designer on MacOs.